Greek Airport Traffic Up 7.6% in Q1 2026

• 8 May, 26

In the first quarter of 2026, Greece’s air transport market continued its upward trend. The country’s 39 airports handled 9,282,984 passengers, an increase of 7.6% compared to 8,624,002 passengers in the same period of 2025, indicating a continued recovery in travel and tourism demand.

At the same time, flight operations expanded in tandem. During the reporting period, total aircraft movements reached 80,122, a year-on-year increase of 6.8% from 75,038 movements in the same period of 2025, reflecting steady growth in both domestic and international route demand.

Strong growth at state-owned airports

The 24 airports managed by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority performed strongly in the first quarter, handling 769,866 passengers, a year-on-year increase of 12.5%, significantly above the national average.

This growth accelerated further in March, with monthly passenger traffic rising 16.8% year-on-year. Among these airports, Heraklion Airport saw the most notable increase, with passenger numbers up 18.8% year-on-year to 189,317 passengers, serving as a key engine driving overall growth at state-owned airports.

Athens Airport consolidates its hub status

As the country’s most important aviation hub, Athens International Airport continued its steady expansion. In the first quarter of 2026, the airport handled 6.28 million passengers, an increase of 8.1% year-on-year.

By segment, domestic routes grew by 7.1%, while international routes grew by 8.5%, indicating that international demand remains the primary driver. In March alone, airport passenger traffic reached 2.31 million, up 3.8% year-on-year. During the same period, the number of flights stood at 54,181, a 7.0% year-on-year increase, reflecting the continued expansion of its route network.

Regional airports benefit from international tourism demand

The 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece also recorded steady growth. In March 2026, these airports handled 889,043 passengers, an increase of 6.9% year-on-year, with international passengers growing by 9.1% as the main contributing factor.

Island tourist destinations performed particularly well. Santorini and Corfu saw growth of 29.2% and 30.2%, respectively, while Zakynthos, Kos, and Chania also maintained strong growth momentum, indicating rising demand ahead of the summer peak season.

Looking at the quarter as a whole, these regional airports welcomed a total of 2.32 million passengers, a 7.9% year-on-year increase, with domestic and international markets growing by 8.5% and 7.1% respectively, showing a balanced market structure.

Cre: Ekathimerini & Greek Travel Pages